Winter is here, earlier than expected
Being a year full of surprises, winter has arrived early especially in the northern part of the country. Amid the global pandemic where everyone is trying to defeat the virus, winters are a prone season for various health ailments. In addition to the temperature drop, the day-to-day increasing air pollution particularly in the Delhi NCR region has also triggered various health issues.
Stroke – a major threat during winter
According to various reports, over 15 lakh individuals experience some form of stroke attack each year in India, and about one-third of them end up with a stroke-related ailment. It is therefore much more crucial for us to recognize what increases the risk of stroke during winter?
What causes rise in heart stroke cases during winter ?
One of the main causes of stroke is the contraction of blood arteries during cold weather, which raises blood pressure and requires the heart to work much harder to pump blood around the body. This is one of the main causes of stroke.
COVID and heart diseases raise concerns
Dr. Vipul Gupta, Chief - Neuro interventional Surgery & Co-Chief Stroke Unit, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, says, “Another challenge which our population is facing, particularly this year, is the spreading of the deadly COVID pandemic. It is now also known that COVID infection raises the chances of stroke and sometimes it is also witnessed that COVID patients may be present with stroke. Stroke in these patients is again due to the changes in their blood vessels and some of the patients with severe COVID infection have raised chances of clotting as well. The combination of winters with COVID is a potentially deadly combination for the Indian population, which is further made worse in the cities by the rising air pollution and bursting firecrackers during Diwali.”
The risk of COVID, winter and pollution
An extremely lethal combination that increases the risk of stroke is the early start of winter combined with COVID infections. Patients who already have illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, or who are older than 65 are more susceptible to this disease.
Precautions you need to take
- It is highly advised to constantly check your blood pressure throughout this changeable weather in order to reduce the risk for stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Even little variations or an increase in blood pressure require immediate consultation with a doctor, who might then recommend a change in medication.
- Dr. Gupta also recommends staying warm and avoiding being exposed to abrupt, extremely low temperatures because the chance of suffering a stroke increases for several days after exposure.
- Keeping in mind the issues of COVID and rising pollution, one should maintain the recommended levels of regular physical activity and avoid sudden extreme changes in diet.